apache 2 - can module create own threads?

Hi guys !
I have a tricky question. I know, that this is probably not about
configuration, so sorry for being this post a little bit off-topic,
but I can hope here that some Apache gurus will read my post :-)
Imagine you are writing a module for Apache 2, where you want to
create own thread inside that child created by Apache core itself. Is
this possible ? The reason why I am asking this is :
1) a client contacts a server with some request
2) inside Apache child of the module - create an own thread which is
waiting for other process which is doing the real work to satisfy the
request
3) that client gets an immediate response of type - 'your request is
being processed', but we want to have to connection still open to send
the client the real response which is got from another - non Apache
process - which is doing the real work

Any ideas? I am not sure, but isn't apache killing it's child once the
child sends reply back to client? Like when in step 3), the child
sends response 'we are working on it' - isn't that child killed after
this, so no other 'real' response can be done?

Thanks a lot for some ideas. Thanks also, if you give me an link to
some example dealing with similar problem. And, of course, thanks for
some nice links to other forums where do you think somebody can answer
this question.

skoco